Global Founders Program

Reducing friction for global founders (and their teams) to have an amazing speedrun experience ✨

For many founders based outside of the US, navigating the process of getting to California for the a16z speedrun program can be daunting. Our goal is to take as much guesswork out as possible, so you can focus your energy where it matters most - building your company.

Below we’ve outline some of the ways we support our global founders:

Visas

This is the most readily expected challenge for global founders, yet evaluating potential paths can be surprisingly complex. We work closely with trusted immigration attorneys, where our relationships (and successful outcomes) span over a decade. These attorneys offer complementary consultations and best-in-class, startup-specific guidance. In partnership with this network, we have helped global founders not only get to the US to participate in speedrun, but also successfully petition for O-1A and EB-1A visa status.

Customs and Border Crossing

Speedrun and our immigration partners help global founders prepare for consular interviews and border crossing to minimize risk.

Housing and Desk Space

We provide global founders with detailed guidance on neighborhoods and housing options to make the decision process as simple as possible. Speedrun participants also have access to desk space at our offices in San Francisco and Santa Monica during the program.

Banking and Credit

Business (and personal) banking can be an unexpected challenge for global founders. Speedrun has partnered with key banking and credit partners to help global founders avoid common pitfalls and long diligence timelines. These partners have demonstrated the ability to work effectively and efficiently with founders regardless of immigration status.

Global Founder Community

Speedrun has welcomed founders from over a dozen countries, and our companies manage teams across many more. We’ve formalized this alumni network to give you access to their experience; while no two immigration stories are exactly alike, you can learn an incredible amount from someone who has leveraged the same visa type or interviewed in the same consulate.

Once admitted to speedrun, you’ll have perpetual access to a large and growing peer group of global founders.